Onboarding during Covid-19

With so much being discussed about how to manage working from home, is enough being talked about for those being onboarded to ensure they can fully succeed in their new role?

The first day in a new role can be an incredibly nervous time even for the most experienced or expert workers, but what is the onboarding process like if you are starting a new job and working remotely, especially in the midst of the current global uncertainty?

With so much being discussed about how to manage working from home is enough being talked about for those being onboarded to ensure they can fully succeed in their new role?

In a study conducted by Cezanne HR, 45% of respondents to a survey about taking a new job said they heard nothing from their new employer between accepting their role and starting it. The Recruitment Network refer to this period as ‘the Valley of Death’ which can be one of the most trying times, even in a normal office based climate.

28% of the survey said that they did not even have a computer ready for day one, so what is being done to allow people starting new jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic to join a company and hit the ground running?

We have some tips to try and help guide you through this trying time:

Check

Check with your recruiter or your employer to make sure you will have all the tools to make an impact on day one, do you have a laptop, a mobile phone, the required IT services and privileges to be able to log on and start as you mean to go on?

Plan  

Is there a plan in place for day one, week one, week two, month one? In order to be successful new starters need to know what is being expected of them. Even when starting in an office, people can feel isolated and left to their own devices. Make sure you know what the expectations are during your start period.

Ask

Do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to from your employer or manager. Communication is key, even in a face to face environment, but even more so when you are a new starter working from home. Rather than inundating people with questions one by one though, save them up and ask them in stages. Remember, right now everyone is going to be under intense pressure.

Our key piece of advice here is to work with your recruiter, and your new employer, in order to ensure you have all the tools you need from day one. We were already living in a world heavily reliant on technology, and now with remote working, it is more important than ever. Check if your laptop and phone are being provided for you, make sure they work before you start your first day. Take the initiative to ensure that you set yourself up for success, and the rest will surely follow.

If you are struggling with your remote onboarding, feed this back to your employer or to your recruiter, and if you want some impartial advice please do reach out to us.